A Reflection on David's School Life
by KatyRose4
Summary: It's after the strike and David has returned to school. He does something bad and finds himself questioning the importance of a proper education.


**Author's Note:**

 **Task Four: Change means "Controversial" and it is up to a person to decide if it is good or bad.**

 **Word Count (according to Microsoft and not including the author's note): 1227**

David was crying. He was never a crier and wasn't supposed to cry, but he was in that moment. And it was embarrassing. At least it wasn't the uncontrollable, obvious sobs where people look back and stare at you. That would've been even worse, and he felt bad enough as it was. No, it wasn't that kind of cry. His eyes were red and a few tears are coming out, one at a time, and there was some sniffling too. His emotions threatened to take over and increase the few tears to a steady flow, but he wouldn't let that happen. He closed his eyes, wiped his face, took a deep breath, and started walking, hoping it would help him feel better. It worked a little. His head was clearing up and his thoughts became more concise. Then he found himself asking the most obvious question: why?

There was no real reason for him to be that upset. No obvious reason anyways. He thought back to what had happened the past few days. The obvious answer was that he got caught cheating on a science test and failed it. Science was a subject he had been so good at before becoming a newsie and suddenly it was a complete mystery. Every class felt so hard all of a sudden.

But it was more than his mother's yelling, knowing that his already stressed father would be disappointed, the self-loathing and resentment, or the bad grade. To understand David's emotions, one must go back to the very beginning, back to the moment where he said the five most dreadful words he ever could have said, "I'm going back to school."

Truth be told, at first, he actually wasn't too upset. Only Les was, and Jack too a little. David was kind of excited to go back and see his old friends and get back on the path of a proper education. He wanted to raise a good life for himself and become a doctor or some job that paid more than a few cents a day. Every day he asked himself, "What am I doing? What happens to all these guys after they grow up and can't sell papers anymore?" And the answers scared him.

Most of them would probably end up in an awful factory like his father. Factories were dirty, had unsafe conditions, and the people worked long hours for little pay. A few of the lucky ones could find work a decent shop and maybe earn a decent wage and not work fifteen hours a day. Maybe. A few could even die out on the streets. There was also the army, though David wasn't the strongest person and that wasn't an option for him. The prospect of school was exciting. It gave him opportunities that being a newsie didn't have. And that was pretty great.

The adjustment to new people also went quite smoothly. He appreciated being able to talk to someone about academics rather than being laughed at for being, as Jack put it, a "hoity toity smarty pants." At school, if he remembered an interesting fact about the trolley systems, or wanted to talk about to talk about the latest labor laws, he could. In fact, he was encouraged to discuss intellectual matters. In his new community, his talents were nurtured rather than shot down.

But it wasn't easy. Long nights and lots of studying had taken a toll on him physically and mentally. He had little patience for kindness or humor, and the slightest things would bother him. He rarely complained but really wanted to. School could miserable, suffocating, and even sometimes torturous. Some teachers were just plain cruel and some of his friends seemed fake. There was so much to do and the work was hard and the barely passing grades he received did nothing to boost self-confidence. Maybe being an newsie wasn't so bad.

And he had to give credit to Jack and the newsies. While David was no stranger to poverty or hard work, he understood much more about the streets and how New York City ran. He knew little details like how to get a free snack (without stealing) or which neighborhoods were dangerous. Being a newsie also gave him a taste of manual labor, which school didn't focus on. The newsie part of his life gave himself a unique quality that no other student had- brutal honesty. At times, school felt like a palace in the sky, shielded from pain. He was grateful for his 'alternative' education.

The thing is, a community is not the same thing as a family. And that's what the newsies were, a family. "David?" David froze, cursed under his breath, and ran. Very fast. It was someone from school, and he was not interested in having a classmate see him like that. Unfortunately, he ran straight into Jack.

"David?"

"What does a man have to do to get some peace around here!" He tried to maneuver around Jack but Jack was stronger and managed to stop him. Jack put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back so they could talk face to face.

"Whoa, whoa, what's the rush? Who're you running from?"

"Nothing. No one. Just…leave me alone, okay."

"You were crying."

"So? That's none of your business."

"What happened?"

"I told you, nothing."

"It's not nothing if you cried. You don't cry."

"And I don't lie either." That was true as well. But Jack's curiosity got the better of him. He just _had_ to know.

"What happened?"

"I failed a science test okay? I told you, nothing."

"It's not just a science test and you know it." Any classmate would've just teased him. Jack could see right through him. "What? Did your folks yell at you or something?"

"No, just…I um... I did something bad."

"What, what is it? You can tell me."

"I cheated on it and got caught."

"David…You're a wuss." In Jack's eyes, there were more important things to cry about.

"Thanks."

"Hey, no need to get defensive."

"No, I really meant it. I needed that." From anyone else, it would've made him more upset. Besides, he thought Jack was right. "It's just that…I really hate what I did. I was always the honest, smart guy, and now I'm both dumb and a dirty cheater. And I'm staying up until three in the morning studying and I'm not sure my friends really like me and…it's just tough sometimes is all. I don't know why I cried. Don't tell anyone about it."

"David, you have the rest of the school year to decide what kind of student you're gonna be. Just don't do it again. And besides, you're a smart guy, you'll figure it out. And no matter what, I'm here for you. We all are."

"Thanks."

For every good thing David earned from school he lost another. As an adult, when he remembered the misery the school, he would look around his nice apartment and look at his three darling children and think, "I couldn't have had this otherwise." He lost the knowledge of the streets, his second family, a stress-free life, and even his own morals, all to gain book smarts, a good job, money. Was it worth it? He kept asking himself that question for the rest of his life. And he could never decide.

 **Author's Note:** **I feel the need to apologize. This wasn't really edited and I rushed in writing it. It was supposed to be one of those "show don't tell" things, but I ran out of time so...I made this instead. Anyway, hope you enjoyed.**


End file.
